When all you serve is fried chicken—you had better not run out of chicken.

KFC faces a poultry shortage that has closed stores across the U.K. and
Ireland, unleashing jokes and dismay on social media and highlighting the
dangers of making big changes to a global supply chain.

Although the company has tried to keep it light, critics cry fowl and
question the organization’s management.

Fast-food fans were in a flutter Monday after most of the 900 KFC outlets
in the U.K. and Ireland were forced to close because of a shortage of
chicken. The company apologized to customers, blaming "teething problems"
with its new delivery partner, DHL.

[…] It said those branches that remained open were operating a limited menu
or shortened hours.

The fried chicken chain tried to frame the store closings as a move taken
to preserve brand integrity.

But even as KFC has been attempting to, ah, wing it, the problem doesn't
appear to be getting any better: BBC News reported
that more of the chain's outlets closed in the region — a total of 575 out
of 900 as of Monday night.

Only a few hundred of KFC's British locations were open Monday,
according to the company's website. Restaurants in Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland “are open as
usual,” the company says.

Customers appear unwilling to forgive the restaurant for its supply chain
woes.

The Washington Post
continued:

Some customers aren't happy with the closures.

“So we're going to have to hit a McDonald's up,” says a customer who
posted a video on YouTube
showing a closed location in Manchester, England. “This is s‑‑‑ mate. We
like our chicken. You know we like our chicken.”

There was some gloating from the former suppliers who had lost out to DHL’s
new contract:

Disaster. Took the Grandkids out to dinner at KFC only to see that it's shut down. Some chicken shortage. Took them to McDonald's but it's not the same. Crying in the bathroom. Can't show weakness in front of them. #KFCCrisis